France has a population of 65 millions and is a Republic headed by a President. Legislative power rests with a Senate and National Assembly from which are appointed a Prime Minister and Cabinet. For administrative purposes France is split into 27 Regions (Regions) (21 metropolitan Regions plus Corsica, the island of Réunion and the French Caribbean) ; 95 mainland Departments (Départements), 6 Overseas Territories included Mayotte, 342 Sub-Departments (Arrondissements) ; 4039 Districts (Cantons) and some 36 682 Municipalities (Communes). Each of the Departments are numbered (generally in alphabetical order) originally from 01 (Ain) through to for example, 89 (Yonne). The Capital of France (Région Ile de France), Paris is divided into the City of Paris (Département number 75), Hauts-de-Seine (92); Seine St- Denis (93) and Val de Marne (94). The country covers a land area of 551 695 km2.
French legal metrology controls stem from the post-Revolution period. In 1837 the metric system of weights and measures was introduced. Thereafter legal units of measurement were implemented in the electrical, calorific and other areas and the field of application of controls extended so that today there are 37 categories of measuring instruments subject to French legal metrology control.
Responsibility for legal metrology is at central Government level. The Bureau de la Métrologie (BM) within the Directorate General of competitiveness, industry and services (DGCIS) is part of the Ministry in charge of industry. The BM defines the general rules of legal metrology, prepares regulations, survey designated and notified bodies, co-ordinates metrological controls, market surveillance and the work done by the DIRECCTE, participates in European or international meetings (Commission, WELMEC, OIML).
Surveillance of all stakeholders (verification bodies, manufacturers, repairers, installers and users) is administered through 24 Regional Departments of Business, Competition, Consumer Affairs, Labour and Employment (DIRECCTE)
Fundamental metrology in France is since January 2005 the responsibility of the Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais (LNE). Due to historical reason several national laboratories are involved in this activity (see www.lne.fr/fr/metrologie/metrologie-francaise.asp). The LNE is a public body with commercial activities under the control of the Ministry in charge of Industry.
France has a comprehensive national QA accreditation structure in place. Accreditation of testing laboratories is by COFRAC (Comité Français d'Accréditation). Several bodies accredited by COFRAC as Certification bodies for quality systems provides QA third party certification.
In legal metrology great use is being made of external non-governmental organisations to perform type approval work, initial verification, re-verifications and periodical verification of instruments in use. Tasks have been widely contracted out to private organisations complying with criteria based on EN 17020 and EN 17025 for the tests and having traceable metrological standards and competence. Evidence of accreditation by COFRAC, the national accreditation body for testing laboratories, or equivalent accreditation, is also generally sought. Designation of designated or notified bodies is via the ministry, agreement of verification bodies is via the Préfet de Département (a political appointee representing the national government in the locality) [NB the agreement of verification bodies for in-service instruments is generally signed by the DIRECCTE on behalf of the Préfet] on the advice of the DIRECCTE and based on an initial audit carried out by his service. DIRECCTE inspectors monitor and audit the performance of the private companies by surveillance of instruments and premises. Approved verification bodies also have to report periodically to the DIRECCTE. This surveillance can result in DIRECCTE inspectors recommending the withdrawal of Préfet approval for the agreed verification bodies. The first external appointees came into operation on 1 January 1994 for non-automatic weighing instruments, petrol pumps, liquid petroleum gas pumps and road tanker meters, and engine exhaust gas analysers, it is now widely used for other categories. After the initial period of the agreement, the bodies have to be accredited by COFRAC for their activity.
For type examination and approval of quality systems of manufacturers and repairers the designated body is the LNE (certification department).
National Initial verification of measuring instruments are performed by private bodies designated by the ministry.
For many categories owners of instruments are required by law to maintain a Metrological Information booklet and keep it available for DIRECCTE inspection. The booklet retains details of verifications and repairs and any qualified company carrying out statutory periodic verification.
(list updated in 2006 following the decree of 12 April 2006 transposing MID) if used for purposes listed in article 1 of the decree dated 3 May 2001
Instruments are generally subject to type approval, initial verification and mandatory re-verification unless otherwise specified.
LNE - département Certification des Instruments de Mesure - is designated body for the national type approval. LNE is also notified body for EC type approval of NAWI and for modules B, H1 and other modules in the field of all specific annexes under MID.
All approvals previously issued by the Sous direction de la métrologie (SDM) French authority for legal metrology and by LNE (until 1 January 2002) are published directly on the Web site (www.industrie.gouv.fr/metro). Approval from LNE are now published directly on its Web site (http://www.lne.fr/fr/metrologie/metrologie_legale/listes-certificats-delivres.asp). LNE is also designated to renew or amend when necessary the certificates previously issued by the ministry.
National initial verification is performed by designated independent bodies (see list on www.industrie.gouv.fr/metro) or by approval of the quality system of manufacturer or the repairer.
LNE is notified for EC unit verification of NAWI and approval of quality system of manufacturers. Cognac Jaugeages is notified for EC verification of NAWI.
Concerning MID LNE is notified for all modules except F and F1.
Cognac Jaugeages and Mesure et Services are notified bodies for module F and F1 for some categories, l’Union Technique de l’Automobile, du Motocycle et du Cycle for MI-010 and Tri Pesage Services for MI-006.
LNE and other private designated bodies have their own tariffs.
Quality assurance is also used in the field of initial verification after repair. (see list of manufacturers and repairers with quality system approved and surveyed by LNE on www.lne.fr/fr/metrologie/metrologie_legale/liste_certificats_sq/liste_certificats_sq.pdf
The requirements for manufacturers and repairers are set in the decree dated 3 May 2001 and the arrêté of 31 Décember 2001 and in the decree and arrêté transposing weighing directive and MID. For the quality system reference is made to ISO standard 9001 with the specific application to legal metrology (see WELMEC guides).
Control of instruments in service is generally based on a mandatory periodical verification performed by approved external bodies evidencing compliance with EN 17020, EN 17025 for the tests and specific metrological requirements. The list of verification bodies per category is available on the website www.industrie.gouv.fr/metro.
Inspection intervals are:
trade weights 4 years weighing instruments in trade use - direct sales to the public (Max< 30 kg) 2 years other 1 year petrol pumps 1 year taxi meters 1 year gas analysers 1 year Error allowances are generally mpe (maximum permissible error) x 2 for weighing instruments, mpe x 1 for most liquid measuring meters other than water.
Market surveillance is performed by BM and the DIRECCTE. This activity is in development (it includes use of information gathered from classical metrological activities and a special budget for complete testing of some instruments).
In addition to spot check by the DIRECCTE, since 2005 systematic and national operation of instruments in service have been carried out. They are called " operation coup de poing".
They are prepared by BM and the DIRECCTE (agreement on the target, the tests and examination to be performed, the week of action, the gathering of data).
They touched the following fields : 2007 on road tankers, gas analysers, 2008 on NAWI (scales and weighbridges), 2009 on AWI and NAWI used for weighing food for variable quantity, 2010 on fuel dispensers, 2011 on NAWI used in food and agriculture companies.
Result are communicated to stakeholders and media.
BM has 10 engineers working in legal metrology. There are 132 engineers, technicians and verification staff employed by the DIRECCTE . The training of legal metrology officers is provided by the Ecole des Mines de Douai and has a specialised training in quality and metrology.
No system of administrative fines is available. Use of false or inaccurate instruments or the giving of short measure are criminal offences punishable by fine or imprisonment and subject to the jurisdiction of the courts. Other offences such as use of the instrument other than as approved or tampering with the verification stickers (green stickers attached to the instrument by the verification bodies or DIRECCTE inspector evidencing its testing and indicating the date when the next verification is due) is punishable by financial penalty imposed by the courts. Inspectors can confiscate instruments but would refer offences to the prosecuting authorities. Inspectors may issue written warnings. Fines are set by general legislation, not by specific legal metrology laws.
The Directive is implemented by Decree n° 91-330 of 27 March 1991 and a Arrêté of 22 June 1992 (both text were amended in 1996 to implement amendment of the directive by directive 93/68). The Article 1 point 2(a) category 1-6 instruments controlled by the Directive were all subject to French legal metrology controls prior to implementation of the Directive. Since December 1999 LNE is notified body for EC type examination, EC unit verification and approval of quality systems of manufacturer (EC declaration of conformity). Since february 2010, Cognac Jaugeages is notified body for EC verification.
No administrative gravity values as referred in Annex II point 5.2 have been identified The manufacturer is responsible to bring the instrument in conformity with the maximum permissible errors for the place of use. However the approach developed in guide WELMEC 2 is accepted.
The French implementing Decree does not make it an offence to use the weighing instrument below Min.
Certification and approval of manufacturers quality systems is based on existing national provisions, defined in a reference document of 2004 based on ISO 9001 and metrological requirements reliance being placed upon the WELMEC WG4 guidance for applying ISO 9001 and EN 45000 criteria to manufacturers systems. The BM will continue to approve the necessary QA model. LNE is the only French notified body for the approuval of quality system of manufacturers.
The directive was implemented by a decree dated 12 April 2006 and an arrêté dated 28 April 2006.
The directive is transposed for all categories even if a few of them are not subject to legal control in France (length measuring instrument, capacity serving measures). This gives the possibility to have notified bodies even in the field that are not regulated in France and also to assist other Member states in the field of market surveillance and exchange of information if needed.
BM is in charge of implementation of MID in general, the designation of notified bodies and market surveillance together with DIRECCTE.
LNE is notified body for all modules except F and F1 and for all categories.
Other private independent bodies have been notified for module F and F1 for different categories of measuring instruments (Cognac Jaugeages, Mesure et Services, l’Union Technique de l’Automobile, du Motocycle et du Cycle and Tri Pesage Services) (see Nando).
Updated February 2012